Red-Footed Booby

Red footed boobies, despite their universally colored feet, have plumage that varies from bright white to dark brown. The smallest of the booby family, their wingspan reaches about 3 feet and their average weight doesn’t exceed 2 pounds. While they are the most numerous booby in the Galapagos, they’re also the least often spotted. This is largely due to their proclivity for nesting in remote locations and their frequent and lengthy hunting trips out to sea to feast on flying fish. When not nesting, in fact, nary a red footed booby sticks around on the islands. They are some of the fastest-flying birds in Pacific airways.

Red footed boobies lay one egg at a time and both partners contribute to incubation. Pairs will generally stay together for several mating seasons. They lay their eggs in low-lying brush and trees, made possible by their longer toes that allow them to grip small branches. They nest mainly on Genovesa and San Cristobal Island, and can also be found flying around the Pacific and on Easter Island.